Facts & Figures

Cross-border e-commerce is growing at nearly twice the rate of domestic e-commerce in most EU countries.

#2

Four billion parcels are being ordered online and delivered every year across the EU.

#3

Key features of postal operators’ e-commerce Interconnect Programme:

Harmonised set of services in both countries of origin and destination.

Full track-and-trace platform from posting to delivery

RFID barcode technology

Free Cross-border e-commerce return solution

Harmonised processes throughout Europe

Rapid resolution of handling customers queries through connecting call centres from up to 180 posts worldwide

#4

On average, both retailers and consumers can choose from 9 different operators for domestic parcel delivery and 8.1 different operators for cross-border delivery (including universal-service providers and their competitors), according to the updated 2018 data gathered by national postal operators across all 28 EU member states1.

1Source: The figures above are the latest data (June 2016) obtained by national postal operators, except those marked in italics – which denote information from 2013.

#5

The number of parcel operators is actually growing rapidly.

In 2013, the average number of parcel delivery operators is 5 for domestic and 4.44 for cross-border. In 2016, it’s 7.68 for domestic and 6.75 for cross-border. Spain has the highest number of cross-border operators – 16 – while the Czech Republic has the most number of domestic operators – 20.

#6

How is cross-border delivery different from domestic delivery? What determines cross-border parcel delivery prices?